"Basketball is my third sport... I hated basketball" - Tracy McGrady admits playing basketball in his late adolescence as he had an affinity for baseball early on
Tracy McGrady had a legendary NBA career that landed him in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. McGrady won back-to-back scoring championships in the 2000s, while making the All-NBA and All-Star teams seven times each. He recently revealed that despite his great success in the sport, basketball was not his choice of sport in his early childhood.
During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, McGrady stated:
"My best sport is baseball, basketball is my third sport... Baseball and football. Right now, I can go on the football field on one knee and throw 60 yards, easily. I go right now and throw 80 plus on the mound, baseball. At 43."
"All three of them is natural, it's a natural God given ability... I didn't play baseball from my junior year to 2013. That time space, I didn't play baseball. When I went out there, I was throwing 85, 88. My uncle CJ used to set up two pillows for me on our couch and that was my strike zone, used to throw the ball right through there and that's how I got started."
"I started playing baseball at five years old. I didn't play basketball until I was like nine, ten years old. I hated basketball. I played football, I started at eight. Little League football, down in Florida, that's what we do, that's our thing. For baseball though, I played every single year. I remember I was eight years old when I first started pitching."
McGrady's comments are quite shocking considering the legendary career he had on the basketball court. He added that his decision to choose basketball was due to fate, as he began to be noticed and was invited to ABCD camp. After the camp, he went from being ranked 175th to first overall.
Watch Tracy McGrady's comments on basketball being his third sport below (starting at the 0:30 mark):
Tracy McGrady produced one of the greatest comebacks of all-time
Tracy McGrady is widely viewed as one of the best scorers in NBA history. His scoring abilities were on full display during the 2004-2005 season against the San Antonio Spurs, who would go on to win the NBA championship.
With his Houston Rockets trailing 76-68 with less than 40 seconds to go, the game looked all but over. Instead, McGrady would cut the lead to five with 35.0 seconds left by hitting a three-pointer. After two free-throws from Devin Brown, McGrady connected for a four-point play to shrink the deficit to 78-75. Tim Duncan would make two free-throws, but another quick three from McGrady would make it a two-point game with 11.2 seconds remaining.
With both teams out of time-outs, McGrady stole the ball from Brown with less than eight seconds to play. He then drove up the court and connected for one last three-pointer to give the Rockets a 81-80 lead with 1.7 seconds remaining. The game-winning shot gave McGrady 13 points in 33.3 seconds and the Rockets a surprise victory.
Relive Tracy McGrady's 13 points in 33.3 seconds below:
15 years ago today.
Tracy McGrady scores 13 points in 33 seconds to lead Houston to a win.
Unreal
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